Delves was
commissioned from the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst into the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment of the Prince of Wales's Division on 2 August 1968, and promoted
lieutenant on 2 February 1970. Having been promoted to
captain on 2 August 1974, he passed selection for the
Special Air Service (SAS) and undertook tours in
Northern Ireland for which he was
Mentioned in Despatches in December 1979 for services between 1 May and 31 July 1979 and again in December 1981 for services between 1 May and 31 July 1981. Still serving with the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, he was promoted
major on 30 September 1980.
Falklands War Delves distinguished himself on 21 April 1982 when, as
Officer Commanding D Squadron
22nd Special Air Service Regiment, he captured
Grytviken on
South Georgia without loss of life. He followed this up on 15 May when his squadron destroyed eleven
Argentine aircraft at
Pebble Island (the
Raid on Pebble Island), on 21 May when he led a deceptive raid on
Darwin, and again on 31 May at
Mount Kent in the
Falkland Islands where he took his squadron 40 miles behind enemy lines and secured a firm hold on the area allowing conventional forces to be brought in. For his leadership during these operations, Delves was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order. His citation, published in the
London Gazette, reads:
Later career Serving with the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, Delves was promoted to
lieutenant colonel on 30 June 1986. He succeeded Lieutenant Colonel
Andrew Massey as commander of the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, during
Operation Flavius, which resulted in the death of three
Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers in Gibraltar. Appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 15 June 1990, Delves was promoted to
colonel fifteen days later, and was promoted to
brigadier on 31 December 1990. In 1993, Delves was appointed
Director Special Forces and, by December 1995, he was leading
Special Operations in
Bosnia as Commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF), a component of the
Implementation Force (IFOR). Delves was appointed
General Officer Commanding 3rd (UK) Division and promoted
major general on 5 July 1996, in which role he was deployed to
Bosnia in January 1998 as Commander of
Multi-National Division (South-West). He was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 31 December 1996, and awarded a
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service on 7 May 1999 for his service in former Yugoslavia between 22 June and 30 September 1998. By 1999 Delves was Chief of Joint Forces Operational Readiness and Training. He became Deputy
Commander-in-Chief at
Land Command (subsequently retitled 'Commander Field Army') in the rank of
lieutenant general in December 2000. On 1 April 2001, Delves was appointed Colonel Commandant of the
Small Arms School Corps. Delves was appointed the British representative to
United States Central Command in
Tampa, Florida for the
War in Afghanistan on 17 January 2002. While at Central Command, American General
Tommy Franks oversaw the military effort against
al-Qaeda in
Afghanistan. Delves had succeeded Air Marshal
Jock Stirrup as focus changed from air operations to a campaign conducted largely by special forces on the ground. On 31 December 2002 he was appointed Colonel of the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. He was knighted as a
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 2003 and, on 1 October, was succeeded as Colonel Commandant of the
Small Arms School Corps by Lieutenant General
Sir Redmond Watt, Delves having been appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Regional Headquarters Allied Forces North Europe on 30 September 2003. In December 2003, Delves lost a leg when he was crushed against a wall by a drunk driver in
Maastricht in the
Netherlands. and relinquished the appointment of Colonel of the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment on 1 February 2007 on formation of
The Rifles. ==Post-retirement==